ne'er-do-well

American  

[nair-doo-wel] / ˈnɛər duˌwɛl /

noun

1. an idle, worthless person; a person who is ineffectual, unsuccessful, or completely lacking in merit; good-for-nothing.

   Synonyms:

   wastrel, loafer, idler

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adjective

1. worthless; ineffectual; good-for-nothing.

ne'er-do-well British  

noun

1. an improvident, irresponsible, or lazy person

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adjective

1. useless; worthless

   your ne'er-do-well schemes

Etymology

Origin of ne'er-do-well

First recorded in 1730–40

Example Sentences

“What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?” focuses on Chip, a ne’er-do-well scion of a wealthy New Hampshire banking family where “everything had been decided for him long before he was born.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

“There’s a whole ecosystem of ne’er-do-well kind of folks who are in this business,” he said.

From Reuters • Aug. 1, 2023

More than in 1964, the story of a talented woman punishing herself for loving a ne’er-do-well might prove hard to take.

From New York Times • Feb. 23, 2022

But it would be foolish to get lost in the celebration of Burrow’s emergence without acknowledging what that now demands of a ne’er-do-well organization.

From Washington Post • Jan. 15, 2022

The subject is a little like a ne’er-do-well relative; it’s sometimes a shameful reminder, sometimes openly acknowledged, but always there, even, or especially, when it’s never mentioned.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times